Mitt Romney condemned Russia as a "country where the desire to be free is
met with brutal oppression", as he brought to an end his error-strewn
international tour.

Addressing an audience at Warsaw University in Poland, the Republican presidential candidate poured praise on the Polish struggle for liberty and its demonstration that it "honours freedom".

He hailed the former Communist bloc country's "march toward economic liberty and smaller government" with a "strong military" as a model for the world.

Mr Obama'sDemocratic party claimed Mr Romney's comments, about a country he describes as "America's number one geopolitical foe", showed that he had an "outdated, Cold War mentality".

His remarks were also partially overshadowed by yet another campaign gaffe, when a senior spokesman was recorded telling reporters to "kiss my ass" after they asked Mr Romney questions.

In his speech, Mr Romney said: "There are parts of the world today where the desire to be free is met with brutal oppression," before listing a string of countries including Russia, Belarus and Venezuela. "In Russia, once-promising advances toward a free and open society have faltered," he said.

Mr Romney accuses Mr Obama of "abandoning Poland" by cancelling plans to build a controversial missile shield there in order to aid his much-criticised attempt to "reset" relations with Moscow.

His speech closed a three-country tour that was intended to burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of this November's US presidential election.

Democrats claim the plan has backfired, after Mr Romney's criticism of London's preparedness for the Olympics ruffled British feathers and he was accused of racism by Palestinian officials for claiming Israel's economy was more successful due to the Jewish state's superior culture.

On Tuesday spokesman clashed with reporters when they shouted questions at the candidate as he left a wreath-laying ceremony at Warsaw's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The spokesman told one reporter to "shove it", as journalists who had paid to follow Mr Romney on his tour complained he had answered only three questions during the entire trip.

Mr Obama's campaign has accused Mr Romney of "embarrassing the country" with his tour, while even Karl Rove, the former aide to President George W Bush who remains an influential figure on the Right, has admitted: "You have to shake your head".

Perhaps wary of inducing further criticism, Mr Romney dedicated much of his Warsaw speech to praising Poland for shedding off one-party rule and embracing the free market.

In a thinly-veiled critique of Democratic calls for a stronger government role in the US economy, he tied Poland's commitment to free-market economics to its economic success.

"The world should pay close attention to the transformation of Poland's economy," he said. "A march toward economic liberty and smaller government has meant a march toward higher living standards, a strong military that defends liberty at home and abroad, and an important and growing role on the international stage.

"Rather than heeding the false promise of a government-dominated economy, Poland sought to stimulate innovation, attract investment, expand trade, and live within its means," he added.

Mr Romney hopes his two-day stop in Warsaw will boost his support among Polish-American and other Catholic voters in the US, after courting potentially crucial Jewish votes with his strident comments on the threat of Iran in Israel.

His praise was received well in Poland, which has been affectionate to Republicans since the days of Ronald Reagan, but will struggle to paper over cracks in the relationship between the two countries.

Poles feel aggrieved that they still need visas to travel to the US, despite their country being one of Washington's most steadfast allies. Since EU accession in 2004 Poland has also become increasingly Eurocentric in its orientation at the expense of links with the US.